1940 Chevrolet 12-cwt Ute

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Lang,

Your engine number: R118522, a 1940 Chev utility.

AIF and AMF 'Vans, 12 Cwt, GS (Aust)', Chevrolets are almost invariably listed with 7 digits viz: 'R199xxxx' or 'R278xxxx' or 'R298xxxx' engine numbers.

Where a chassis number is listed, it is in the form of an assembly plant prefix followed by what appears to be the year, then the number: eg, M39-2815 or M40-1332, where M is Melbourne.

Hope you locate the plate from your ute: might be the key to its military identity.

Mike

I noticed the six digit engine number as well.

The utube video claims that 6000 of the 1940 model coupe utes were assembled which seems to be a rather high number to me: the Woodville production records don't indicate that such a high number of these ute bodies were manufactured for 1940 but these bodies may also have been pressed in the Fishermen's Bend plant.